Latest news with #Zikarsky
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers Predicted To Select 7'3", 227-Pound, 18-Year-Old Center In 2025 NBA Draft
The Los Angeles Lakers are in desperate need of a center this offseason, and they're getting one in Bleacher Report's latest mock draft for 2025. The Lakers will only have the 55th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and they're predicted to select Australian Rocco Zikarsky with it. "The draft process will be important for Rocco Zikarsky after an unproductive season that ended early due to injury. A mobile, 7'2" 18-year-old with pro experience may sway some teams to gamble and stay patient. The last few drafts have shown teams interested in adding Zikarsky's kind of size in the middle, even if they lack a modernized skill set." Advertisement Zikarsky played for the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL for the last two seasons. After his first season with the Bullets, the 18-year-old was touted as a first-round pick in 2025, but his stock has now dipped. Zikarsky didn't quite take the leap that you'd have expected in 2024-25, averaging 4.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. He didn't get a lot of playing time (11.8 minutes per game) and then saw his season end early due to a knee injury. Despite things not going according to plan. Zikarsky is still an intriguing prospect. He is a great shot blocker and is also mobile enough to guard on the perimeter. He might not be making an instant impact for the Lakers or anyone else, but he could turn out to be a very solid center in a few years. Zikarsky is present at the NBA Draft Combine, and he showed off his ridiculous standing reach there. Zikarsky also displayed a solid shooting stroke at the combine, which suggests he could perhaps one day be a solid outside shooter in the NBA. Bleacher Report compared Zikarsky to Donovan Clingan, whom the Portland Trail Blazers selected with the seventh pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. Clingan averaged 6.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game as a rookie for the Trail Blazers. Advertisement Even if the Lakers do draft Zikarsky, you would expect them to acquire a center via free agency or trade this offseason. They need someone who can start and play big minutes next season itself. The Lakers have been linked with plenty of centers lately, and one mock trade has them acquiring Mitchell Robinson from the New York Knicks. Injuries and limitations on offense would be slight concerns when it comes to Robinson, but they certainly could use his defense and rebounding. Lakers insider Jovan Buha, meanwhile, has listed Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton as the best of the realistic targets. Like Robinson, Claxton would be a solid acquisition thanks to his defense and rebounding. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka will have a lot of options to choose from this offseason. Here's what Pelinka had to say about the type of center he will be looking for. Advertisement "In terms of center traits, it would be great to have a center that was a vertical threat, a lob threat, and someone that can protect the interior defensively. I think those would be keys." "But there are multiple types of centers that could be effective in the league. There's also spread centers that can protect the rim, we'll look at those as well. So I wouldn't want to limit the archetype, but we know we need a big man." The Lakers do need a lob threat next to Luka Doncic and expect whoever they bring in to be one. They acquired Mark Williams at the deadline with the hopes of providing Doncic with that lob threat, but then had to rescind the trade due to medical concerns. One wonders what might have been had they decided to go through with it. Related: 8 Proven Centers The Lakers Could Acquire In 2025 Offseason
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aussie teen giant Rocco Zikarsky shooting for the NBA
Teen giant Rocco Zikarsky has joined the list of Australians taking their NBA shot in 2025 as the basketball league reveals its shortest list of early draft applicants in a decade. Only 106 players lodged an application for early entry, a requirement for those who are not automatically eligible from having played four years of college or from turning 22 this year. That's the lowest number of early applicants since 91 applied in 2015, the year Karl-Anthony Towns went with the No.1 pick. Zikarsky is one of four players from the NBL's Next Star program declaring for the draft that will be held across two days in late June, announcing his intentions on social media on Wednesday. "All in," the Brisbane Bullets centre wrote on his Instagram story accompanied by two crossed-fingers emojis. Players can only nominate for the NBA draft once. Rocco Zikarsky 🆚 Sydney Kings in 15 MINS:11 PTS4-6 FG (1-1 3PT) 2-2 FT5 REB1 BLK1 AST@BrisbaneBullets — NBL Next Stars (@NBLNextStars) October 6, 2024 Zikarsky had a quieter second campaign in the NBL that ended prematurely due to a knee injury. But he is still rated a chance to be taken in the second round of the draft, offering the rare and imposing height of 220cm. Sydney Kings wing Alex Toohey last month became the first of last season's Next Star class to announce he would declare and could be taken with a late first-round pick. Top Australian college talents Tyrese Proctor and Alex Condon have chosen to prematurely end their respective stints at Duke and the University of Florida to throw their hats in the ring. Power forward Condon turned his back on the possibility of an AFL career to play college ball and could be taken in the first round after seeing his draft stocks rise in recent weeks. Proctor, a point guard, is also rated a good chance of being selected after three seasons at one of the USA's most prominent basketball colleges. Trinidadian Malique Lewis and Spain's Izan Alamansa are the international Next Stars declaring for the draft after spending last NBL season with South East Melbourne and Perth, respectively. The last remaining member of last season's Next Star program Karim Lopez is too young to declare for the draft until next year, having only turned 18 this month. The Wildcats announced on Wednesday that Alamansa's Australian teammate Ben Henshall had also declared for the draft. Lachlan Olbrich is another Australian player with draft aspirations after playing two seasons with the Illawarra Hawks, with whom he won the most recent NBL championship. Given he turns 22 in December, Olbrich did not need to apply for entry into the draft and is considered a slimmer chance than Zikarsky or Toohey to be selected.
Perth Now
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Aussie teen giant Rocco Zikarsky shooting for the NBA
Teen giant Rocco Zikarsky has joined the list of Australians taking their NBA shot in 2025 as the basketball league reveals its shortest list of early draft applicants in a decade. Only 106 players lodged an application for early entry, a requirement for those who are not automatically eligible from having played four years of college or from turning 22 this year. That's the lowest number of early applicants since 91 applied in 2015, the year Karl-Anthony Towns went with the No.1 pick. Zikarsky is one of four players from the NBL's Next Star program declaring for the draft that will be held across two days in late June, announcing his intentions on social media on Wednesday. "All in," the Brisbane Bullets centre wrote on his Instagram story accompanied by two crossed-fingers emojis. Players can only nominate for the NBA draft once. Zikarsky had a quieter second campaign in the NBL that ended prematurely due to a knee injury. But he is still rated a chance to be taken in the second round of the draft, offering the rare and imposing height of 220cm. Sydney Kings wing Alex Toohey last month became the first of last season's Next Star class to announce he would declare and could be taken with a late first-round pick. Top Australian college talents Tyrese Proctor and Alex Condon have chosen to prematurely end their respective stints at Duke and the University of Florida to throw their hats in the ring. Power forward Condon turned his back on the possibility of an AFL career to play college ball and could be taken in the first round after seeing his draft stocks rise in recent weeks. Proctor, a point guard, is also rated a good chance of being selected after three seasons at one of the USA's most prominent basketball colleges. Trinidadian Malique Lewis and Spain's Izan Alamansa are the international Next Stars declaring for the draft after spending last NBL season with South East Melbourne and Perth, respectively. The last remaining member of last season's Next Star program Karim Lopez is too young to declare for the draft until next year, having only turned 18 this month. The Wildcats announced on Wednesday that Alamansa's Australian teammate Ben Henshall had also declared for the draft. Lachlan Olbrich is another Australian player with draft aspirations after playing two seasons with the Illawarra Hawks, with whom he won the most recent NBL championship. Given he turns 22 in December, Olbrich did not need to apply for entry into the draft and is considered a slimmer chance than Zikarsky or Toohey to be selected.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Australian center Rocco Zikarsky declares for 2025 NBA draft after playing in NBL
Australian center Rocco Zikarsky declares for 2025 NBA draft after playing in NBL Australian center Rocco Zikarsky has declared for the 2025 NBA draft after playing the past two seasons with the Brisbane Bullets in the National Basketball League. Zikarsky, born in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, averaged 4.7 points and 3.5 rebounds on 50% shooting from the field this past season. He was limited to 20 games due to a knee injury after playing 29 games in the season prior because of an ankle injury. The 7-foot-3 standout signed with the Bullets as part of the Next Stars program, a plan introduced by the NBL to give top prospects a path to play professionally. He was among several prospects who played in the NBL, joining the likes of Izan Almansa, Malique Lewis and Alex Toohey. Zikarsky entered the season projected to be a first-round pick. However, because of his recent injuries and inconsistent production in the NBL, Zikarsky is now considered a second-round pick at this stage of the predraft process. The 18-year-old has shown that he can offer rim protection at the next level with his mobility and a reported 7-foot, 6-inch wingpsan. He moves with good fluidity on offense and can dominate in the paint, with his touch and ability to clean up the glass. Zikarsky can improve his draft positioning in team workouts and the combine on May 11-18 in Chicago, Illinois. The 2025 NBA draft will occur June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in New York City.
